In many sporting games, it is commonly advantageous to practice repetitiously to improve one's game. The game of golf is no exception, and there have been many apparatus which are used to assist the golfer in improving the golfer's performance. In the game of golf, an important aspect of the game is having an accurate putting stroke. It is advantageous when the golfer is practicing the putting stroke to repeatedly take many strokes hitting a ball and practicing the proper swing. Typically, the golfer practices by placing a plurality of golf balls on a putting green which are repeatedly hit with a putter into holes positioned on the putting green, or on an artificial practice putting surface.
Typically, the golfer will take a handful of golf balls, such as six or seven, and place them all down on a putting surface. The golfer then putts them as a set attempting to sink them into each hole. At each hole, the golfer typically drops the balls onto the putting surface, and arranges them on the putting surface using the club head of the putter. The golfer then putts the balls one at a time toward the hole. Eventually, all of the balls of the set have been hit toward and hopefully into the hole. The balls may then be removed from the hole. Many putting greens include a retrieving cup connected to the end of a metal flag placed in the hole which can be used by the golfer to lift the balls out of the hole and place them again on the putting surface. Typically, the retrieving cup pulls the balls out of the hole and the balls spill from the cup onto the putting surface. It is usually difficult to use the retrieving cup to effectively pick the balls up off the ground. Thus, the golfer must arrange the golf balls on the putting surface either by gathering them together using the putter club head as a guide to move the golf balls into the desired position, or the golfer must bend over and reach down to place the golf balls as desired by hand. In addition, if it is desired to start putting a set of balls from a different location, usually the golfer must bend over and individually pick up all of the balls and carry them to the new starting point for the next round of practice strokes using that set of golf balls. Also, for individual putts, the golfer must bend down to pick up the ball.
Thus, the present invention recognizes it would be convenient to have a system and apparatus for picking up a plurality of golf balls from a putting surface without the need for bending over and reaching clear to the ground. It would further be advantageous to have such a device which is convenient to use and which holds and carries a plurality of golf balls. Moreover, the present invention recognizes that it would be desirable to be able to place golf balls onto the putting surface at a location that would be desired as a starting point for practicing putting a set of golf balls. The present invention further recognizes that any such apparatus which would assist in organizing, gathering up and dispensing golf balls be easily carried in standard golf equipment containers, such as conventional golf bags. It is further desirable that such an apparatus be portable.
In light of the above, the present invention satisfies the need for a portable device for picking up, carrying, and dispensing golf balls by incorporating the components of the device within a convenient all-in-one container. This is accomplished by providing a container for containing the components, and possibly additional items, which can be easily assembled for use, as desired, at home, on the practice putting green, or at any desirable location, and which can be easily disassembled and placed back into the container.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable golf dispensing and retrieving system which can be used to pick up and dispense golf balls. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable ball dispensing system which allows the golfer to pick up a plurality of golf balls from a putting surface without requiring a golfer to bend over and reach down to the golf ball. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable ball dispensing system which has the components packaged in an outer container which can be opened for assembling the components onto the container to use the system as needed. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable ball dispensing system which can hold a plurality of golf balls, each of which can be dispensed one at a time upon activation by the user thereof. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable ball dispensing system which is durable and reliable in operation. Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a portable ball dispensing system which is costefficient in its manufacture and convenient to use.